I don't have anything against Persols, but I love my Wayfarers.

The Persol 2760-S or 2803-S come close to the Wayfarer "look." There's nothing like an original, though.

 

Persol's are much better made then what is being turned out by Ray ban.

They are classic! so I guess that would be considered Trad.

Carl

 

Luxottica Grp.

Ray-Ban and Persol are actually owned by the same company--that is the brands are part of Luxottica's portfolio.

In my experience, former Ray-Ban wearers often "graduate" to Persols. I find Persols to be better made and more stylish, but not ostentatious. I've owned a pair for more than ten years, after wearing Wayfayers for a while.

Persols are pretty Trad, I think, in that they are built to last and are fairly classic in style. The "code" is the patented "arrow" hinge that distinguishes the temple (the pair I own doesn't say "Persol" anywhere except on the inside of the temple bar). I guess you could call them EuroTrad. There are fewer high-pop cultural appearances. I haven't seen Tom Cruise don a pair yet. They also come in a lovely and tank-like case.

The most famous is the "649" style, favored by Marcello Mastroianni and Steve McQueen. Folks these days might find them a little too round and large, but they are beautiful. Hard to find; I've only seen them at Fred Segal in LA.

I've come to think of them as an accessory that makes a Trad outfit more worldly. Sort of like dropping a piece of Italian modernist furniture into an otherwise conservative decor. They work wonders for a navy blazer and khakis. And frankly, I think they are more flattering on most older guys than Ray-Bans.

 

Persol's are superb glasses. The quality is beyond reproach, the styling is updated, but not trendy